Liverpool have a fantastic opportunity to progress in the EFL Cup when they meet Championship outfit Leeds United at Anfield at a time where there are favourable betting odds on Liverpool’s next game.
Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League title contenders host Garry Monk’s side on Merseyside on Tuesday night in a keenly anticipated cup clash.
And former Anfield defender the Jamie Carragher believes Klopp will remind his players they have a great chance to take another step to silverware against the Elland Road outfit.
Carragher, now a pundit for Sky Sports, says the fact that the Reds avoided top flight teams such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Southampton and West Ham in the draw will help Liverpool focus on the task in hand before a full house.
He said: “With all due respect, Leeds United are a Championship side, so you would expect Liverpool to progress. Leeds will bring a great crowd like they always do”.
“But you look at some of the teams in the draw, and they could have gone away to a Premier League side so it’s a decent draw for Liverpool.”
Leeds have travelled a tricky path to get to this stage of the competition. They edged past League Two Fleetwood in the first round with the help of penalties. Then they won on the road when they overcame the challenge of Luton Town at Kenilworth Road with a 1-0 victory.
Next up they saw off fellow Championship side Blackburn Rovers at Elland Road, again a 1-0 win doing the job for the Yorkshire club.
And the Whites had to rely on spot-kick accuracy once more in the fourth round of the competition when they beat Norwich City at home, recording 5-4 penalty shootout win after a 2-2 draw.
Leeds will look to emerging talent Ronaldo Vieira to live up to his name after he was handed a role in the first team by Monk much earlier in his career than the player could ever have imagined.
He said: “For me individually it has been a great season so far, I didn’t expect to be involved with the first team as much as I have been, I just have to keep working and building on performances”.
“The main focus is helping the team that is what it is all about, we want to get Leeds back to where we belong and it has been great so far”.
“We are taking it game by game, but it is hard not to look at the table because we haven’t been in this position for a long time. Our mind and focus though is all about the next game.”